Infant feeding apparatus

ABSTRACT

An infant feeding apparatus to be used in connection with a baby bottle during bottle feeding of an infant is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a handle section having an elongated shape and a hollow cross section and a series of apertures running along the axis of the handle. There is an extension piece adapted to fit within the handle allowing it to rotate within said handle. The extension has a pair of prongs adapted to fit around the cross section of a baby bottle, so that the baby bottle may be extended from the arm of the caregiver via the extension piece and handle.

FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to the field of infant care products and inparticular to an apparatus for effectively extending the reach of aninfant care give who is feeding the baby a bottle. The apparatus willsecure a baby bottle and allow the bottle to be extended from the arm ofthe caregiver. Specifically the apparatus is to be used by a caregivercradling the infant in a sitting position with one hand and arm and thatsame hand and arm is holding the apparatus in connection with the babybottle. This leaves the other hand and amrm free to do other things.

It is an object of the invention to provide an apparatus for securing ababy bottle to free up one hand and arm of the caregiver while stillproviding (human) supervision and interaction with the feeding infant.

It is an object of the invention to provide an apparatus which enables acaregiver to cradle an infant in the sitting position with one hand andarm and bottle feed the infant allowing the other hand and arm free toperform daily tasks.

Another object is to provide such an apparatus that can be of simple andinexpensive construction.

Still another object is to provide such a device that can be quickly andeasily attached to most infant bottles being manufactured nowadays.

Another object is to provide such an apparatus that will allow thecaregiver a full view of the infant while he or she is feeding.

Another object is to provide such an apparatus that requires tocaregiver to provide pressure on the device in order tot keep the bottlefrom slipping out from the infant's mouth.

Another object is to provide such an apparatus that can be of simple andinexpensive construction.

Other objects of the invention may be appreciated by those skilled idnthe art once the invention is shown and described.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows the apparatus in extended position;

FIG. 2 apparatus in the least extended position;

FIG. 3 apparatus with a different shape of extension member,

FIG. 4 detail of the guide channel and locking means.

FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the past, parents of infants have resorted to a variety of measure inattempts to find a useful support apparatus in addition to their own twohands. Freeing up the hands of the caregiver will allow them to do otherthings naturally, but finding a safe and effective way to hold a bottlefor a baby proves an elusive problem.

Some parents have resorted to pillows and rolled up towels in an effortto support the bottle as the infant is feeding. Such half measures arenot safe and do not work. Leaving bottles in babies unattended is not asafe practice according to many experts and doctors. Moreover, proppingup the bottle with a pillow or towel typically results in the bottlebeing knocked over in any event.

A study of the prior art reveals no inventions that adequately addressthese problems. Many such devices require the infant to feed from alying down (horizontal) position that is not healthy or safe. Suchdevices typically encourage the caregiver to leave the infant unattendedwhich is a problem that is not adequately addressed in the prior art.

None of these alternatives seen in the prior art adequately solve thisproblem. It is believed that a successful bottle holding device shouldallow the infant to suck the bottle while in a sitting or cradledposition and also still requires the human caregiver to supervise thefeeding. A device that encourages a caregiver not to watch the infant isnot safe and not a desirable attribute of such device. With that inmind, it is desirable that such an infant feeding device require a humanto attend to it, so that if the caregiver falls asleep or doesn't payattention the bottle will merely drop harmlessly from the infant'smouth.

The device functions as an extension of the hand, more or less so thatthe caregiver can feed the infant a bottle with the same hand that theyare cradling the infant, thus freeing up the other hand to read a bookto the infant, or perhaps to massage the infant's cheeks or toes inorder to encourage the infant to eat. This would be difficult to dowithout such a device. A breastfeeding mother uses a similar concept;i.e. the mother uses one hand to hold the breast or bottle and so herbreast function as an extension of the hand.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The overall construction of the apparatus is shown in FIGS. 1-3. Thehandle 1 is in connection with an extension member 2 that travels withinthe handle. These two pieces are sized and shaped so that the extensioncan both extend from the handle in a direction parallel to thelongitudinal axis of the handle as well as rotate within the handle.FIG. 1 shows the device with the extension member fully extended fromthe handle that would provide the furthest distance that the bottle canbe held away from the caregiver's hand. (FIG. 2 shows the extension inretracted position.) In this position, the apparatus can still be usedbut the bottle, held in the clamp 4, would b closest to the caregiver'shand that is holding the handle. Both positions can be used for feedingthe infant as well as intermediate positions where the extension isdeployed at any position between that of FIGS. 1 and 2.

As can be seen in the figures, both the handle and the extension sectionwill be of circular cross section. This is seen as the most advantageousmethod of construction in order to allows the extension to travel w/inthe handle and to rotate within the handle. The extension will rotateand thus allow a locking mechanism to engage the apertures 12 (see FIG.4) in the handle and therefor allow the extension to be locked intoplace at a pre-selected distance along the axis of travel of theextension.

The apertures 12 (there would typically be about 4 apertures in thehandle but this can be changed) in the handle should be placed atregular intervals of pre-s h distance should allow the extensions piecesto extend the bottle from the arm at a distance that will feel electedspace apart from one another. Such apertures should be of size and shapesufficient to allow frictional means or some other type of means toengage one of the apertures when the handle is rotated a bit. Thoseskilled in the art can best determine what is the best distance toseparate such apertures. Such distance should allow the extension piecesto extend the bottle from the arm at a distance that will feelcomfortable to the caregiver.

It is one the advantages of the invention that the caregiver will beholding the bottle at a distance from the arm that is comfortable to himor her. The ability toa djust this distance (extension piece from thehandle) is one of the reasons that he device works effectively; thecaregiver can choose the distance that is comfortable to him or her andthis allows the apparatus and bottle to be held folong periods withoutbeign uncomfortable.

When the caregiver is ready to use the device, he or she will attach thepair of curved prongs 4 around the bottle. Such prongs are likely to bemade of metal or plastic and should have some flexibility so that theycan be installed around the circular shaped cross section of the bottle.The prongs are manufactured simply as extensions of the extension piece.

With the bottle in place with the prongs 4, the caregiver should thenextend the extension piece so that the bottle is at a comfortabledistance away from the arm. This distance will vary among theindividuals based on the size of their arms and depending on whatdistance is comfortable to them. For this reason, the handle is equippedwith a number of apertures to enable to the extension piece to beadjusted to different pre-selected lengths and then locked into place.

The mechanism for locking the extension in place can bed seen in FIG. 4.There is an engagement member 10 that is formed at one end of theextension member 2. This member should be shaped and sized so that itcan act as a guide when the extension member moves inside the handle.The engagement member will abut the inside walls of the handle to keepthe extension member in place. The engagement member is shaped so thatit can be rotated within the handle so that the engagement member willcome into contact with one of the apertures 12 in the handle. This shapecan be somewhat flat so that most of the time it will not contact theapertures, but only when it is rotated will it come into contact withthe apertures and engage one of them.

The device is locked into place when the caregiver has found anappropriate distance from the bottle to be held from the arm. Theextension member is locked into place by rotating it within the handle.This will bring engagement member 10 into contact with one of theapertures and this mating will serve to lock the extension member at adistance from the handle that is chosen by the caregiver. When it isdesired to retract the extension member, the engagement member can bepressed upon and do disengaged from the handle and the extension memberwil then be free to travel once again within the handle.

Other methods of construction may be used for the locking system withoutvarying from the spirit of the invention. For instance, a spring-loadedmeans could be used in place of a frictional member. Other such systemsshould in effect be able to “lock” the extension piece into place atsome distance along the longitudinal direction of the handle. The prongs4 may be made of lightweight plastic or lightweight metal (such asaluminum). The prongs are optional and this area of the apparatus couldbe made straight without changing the overall purpose of the invention.If the prongs are of bent construction various sized angles may bechosen based upon trials.

With infant cradled in one hand or arm the caregiver picks up the bottlewith the device attached and places the bottle in the general directionof the infant's mouth. With the free hand, the caregiver can manipulatethe bottle close to or inside of the infant's mouth. This action willusually pull the extension piece some distance out of the handle and theuser will then have an idea of where the extension piece is to be set bymeans of the frictional locking system. The user can then set theextension piece at this distance by rotating the extension until itlocks into place.

When in use, the invention will enable the caregiver to have one armfree when he or she uses the apparatus. Such daily function as answeringthe phone, eating, preparing meals, and helping the infant, can beenhanced when the caregiver has an extra free hand to do such things.When the device is done being used, the extension piece can be retractedby simply pushing down on the frictional member and releasing it fromengagement with the aperture. The extension piece can then be drawn backinto the handle and the device will be able to be stored within aminimum of space.

The very ends of the prongs 6 should be tapered or flared outward asseen in the figures. This is so that an o-ring or rubber band or thelike may be placed around the tips of the prongs in order to furthersecure the bottle. Those apertures or slots seen in the tip of the claspare used to allow a VELCRO piece (trademarked name for complimentary setof hook and lopp materials) or similar such item to secure the bottle bybeing looped through the apertures of one prong and into the other one.

It is thought that the extension piece should be about 4-8″ in lengthand it may be manufactured so that it is ana inch in diameter or less.To add gripping ability to the bottle, the bottle clasp 4 should beovermolded in order to allow a rubber and/or resin type of material tobe sprayed on the inside surface of the clasp so that it may have bettergripping ability on the bottle. Those holes shown as 8 in the drawingsare weep holes designed to allow moisture to evaporate and/or drain fromthe device The clasp may be fitted with additional means in connectionwith the clasp in order to tighten the prongs around the bottle.

FIG. 3 shows an alternate construction where the extension member is offlat or planar construction. Such construction should work just as wellas the construction shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 where the cross section ofthe extension member is circular. The locking means for this versioncould be the same or similar to that described above.

1. An infant feeding apparatus for use in connection with a baby bottlethat is of circular cross section; said apparatus comprising a handlesection having an elongated shape and having a hollow cross section ofcircular shape and having a longitudinal axis running perpendicular tosaid cross section; said handle having a series of apertures runningalong said longitudinal axis and being set apart from one another atpredetermined intervals; an extension piece of shape adapted to fitwithin said handle and of shape allowing said handle to rotate withinsaid handle and to travel along said longitudinal axis; a pair of prongsin connection with said extension piece, each of said prongs of shapeadapted to fi around the cross section of the baby bottle, frictionalmeans in connection with said extension piece, said frictional means forengaging said apertures when said extension piece is rotated within saidhandle, so that said extension piece may be extended from said handle ata predetermined distance so that the baby bottle may be extended fromthe arm of the caregiver.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein saidhandle is about 4″ to 8″ in length and said extension piece is about 4″to 8″ in length.